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DESPITE DOZENS OF GAMES OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS , SONIC HAS FAILED TO RECAPTURE HIS OLD MAGIC . CHRIS OLEWICZ EXAMINES WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLUE BLUR .
It is a sad fact that commentators have been charting Sonic the Hedgehog ’ s decline for far longer than his rapid rise . The former darling of Sega , who rode so high in the early 1990s , has for over a decade been drifting from title to title , without ever being able to compete again with Nintendo ’ s Mario . It is a sad predicament , though in some respects it is not surprising that Sonic has struggled for lasting appeal .
While Nintendo have backed Mario through hit after hit , just over three years separated Sonic the Hedgehog ( 1991 ) from Sonic and Knuckles ( 1994 ), a period which included two direct sequels and Sonic the Hedgehog CD ( 1993 ). When he first appeared , he caused a ruckus as consumers rushed to play the game . Over the Christmas of 1991 , the Sega Genesis outsold the Super Nintendo two to one in the USA .
These days it ’ s hard to find anyone who is enthusiastic for Sonic . Games are released with alarming regularity – approximately one every six months – and some garner reasonable reviews , but each misstep is seen as another nail in the franchise ’ s coffin . What happened ?
Any explanation is complicated by the downfall of Sega as a developer of games and consoles . Short on money , they have sought to cash in on Sonic as their one remaining asset , without putting in the effort required to keep him fresh . This has intensified as years have gone by . As early as the Autumn of 1993 , with the broadcast of the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon show , and the release of Sonic Spinball , a pinball game , Sega have exploited Sonic as widely as possible .
Sonic Spinball was the first , but also a typical example of what could go wrong with a Sonic game . Designed on a tight schedule , the game courted negative reviews highlighting design issues , slowdown , and a choppy frame rate . Not for the last time , Sonic ’ s speed exacerbated the weaknesses in a game engine , but undeterred , Sega decided to put their mascot on everything , rushing out further games including Sonic ’ s Schoolhouse , Sonic R , Knuckles Chaotix , and Dr Robotnik ’ s Mean Bean Machine .
In the five years